Process and device for producing cottonized fibers



Nov. 16,1926. v'1,607,220-

' A B. P. VON EHRENTHAL ET AL PROCBSS'AND DEVICE FOR PRODUGINGCOTTONIZSDIBERS ined Feb. 26, 1924 A 's sheets-sheet 2 5 y .l s

B. P. VON EHRENTHAL ET AL :access um' navrcs on rnonucme cowomznn Harms n Filed Feb. 26. 1924 s sheets-shut a Y 1,607,220 B. P. VON EHREN'T'l-UL4 ET AL PRoczss No nzvIcE Fon PRoDUcING coTToNIzED FIBEns Nov. 16

tiled Feb. 26, 1924 'ssheets-sheez 5' Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

, waste, and also frequent breakages of fileecesv and threads, considerable waste, and a lowliquid chemicals.

UNITED STATES t 1,607,220' PATENT OFFICE.

BRUNO POSSANNEB VON EHRENTHAL, 0F COTHEN-ANHALT, GERMNY, .AND KARLv SCHOLZ, OF TETSGHEN, CZECHQSLOVAKIA.

PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR PBODUCING COTTONIZED FIBERS.

` Application fled February 26, 1924, Serial No. 695,385, and in Germany March 28, 1923.

This invention relates to processes and devices for producing cottonized fibers.

In cottonizing bast bers (half-clean hemp, flax, nettle and the like) it has been found that the extraction of the .fiber can be accomplished to any desired extent by the most diverse chemical opening, washing, and loosening processes applied to wet or dry material, but that the` cottonized prod.- uct obtained by all these processes is very different in quality, etc., so that parts of it contain bundles of cells, and individual cells weakened by chemical action and destroyed by mechanical treatment, so that a very non-uniform staple is obtained and the fibers are partly hard and brittle, and partly fragile due to chemical action, and consequently give little' satisfaction in the subsequent spinning process, so that instead of fine uniform threads coarse uneven threads only can be obtained as in spinning efiiciency of the spinning machines occur.

Years of experience in testingplants have shown that by these methods alone a real high grade substitute for cotton cannot 'be obtained by cottonizing but that, apart from the preliminarytreatment of the fibrous substance, a particular mechanical treatment, which damages the fibers as little as possible, is necessary, in order to accomplish the requisite uniform solution intoV individual cells-without injuring and shortening the natural cell and to obtain in this manner a very soft, woolly and clean fiber product of great strength which can be regarded in the spinning mill as a complete equivalent of cotton. The 4object of this invention is to providevprocesses` and devices for obtaining these results.

The raw fibrous substance, or a substance, which has been deshived or subjected to any preliminary chemical or mechanical treatment,fis dealt with as follows:

1. Itis squeezed or beaten and simultane ously treated with Awarm or cold water or v 2. It is gradually but rigorously stretched when` wet in a cold or Warm condition, whereby the individual cells are extracted f1-onithev cell conglomerationbut without completely breaking the strands or the-fleece.

3. TheA fibrous substance is separated in a cold or warm condition into individual cells h'esve substances.

The fibrous substanceg which has been* treated in this manner and dissolved into individualcells, i. e. cottonized, can be either immediately deprived of liquid and dried,

or it may be bleached, impregnated, roughi! ened, dyed and subjected tothe usual proc'- -esses in the flock before it is deprived 'of liquid and dried. y

The cottonized fibrous material produced in thismanner is not onlycompletely clean and dissolved into uninjured individual cells but, in consequence ofthe described treatment, Will-be found to surpass fibrous substances cottonized in any other way vas far as softness, spinning qualities and particularly tensile strength is concerned. Since, if the machines and apparatus are arranged in a suitable manner, no manual labor beyond the feeding of material into the first machine is required, the economy of the process is completely secured, particularly as the output and quality of the product is improved.

Although the aforesaid three processes can be carried out with various machines and apparatus, certain arrangements and types have been found to be particularly advantageous and these form further features of the invention. These machines and devices are illustrated in the drawingV in which- Figs. l. and 2 are a section and a front elevation of a drawing device consisting of 9 pairsof rolls, A

Fig. 2a shows a cross section'of a modification of Fig. l'in which the rollers are partly submerged'in a suitable liquid.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the action of the 100 tions with 4the parts shown at different mo- 105 'ments of operation and'Fig. 7 being a fragf mentary elevation partly in section.

Figs. 8-1'2 illustratethree different forms l of a device for squirting liquid against the fibrous substances, Fig, 8 being a side eleva- 11o ltion partly in section, Fig. 9 a cross section and Fig. l() a fragmentary cross section on an enlarged scale of one form of squirting device Fig. vice provided with perforated bands and Fig. 12 a section of `a'squirting device in which the iibrous substance passes through a pair of rollers and then receives liquid are first subjected to a preliminary opening treatment in beating, crushing or bruising devices whlch may be` constructed as shown 'in Figs. 13415, which devices are more fully described hereinafter. After this preliminary treatment the material is then stretched in a moist conditionin a stretching device.'

This stretching device may be of any preferred kindl as shown in Figs, 1-7. By this 'stretching operation the individual cells or liber elements are separated from each other or loosened their cell conglomeration.

The fibrous material in the form of a moist fleece z, is fed into a pair 'of rollers a, b, Fig. 1 in which the ends of the individual cells j adhering to each other as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. v3 are gripped. Thedrawing device in Fig. '1 or 2a has a pair of rollers a, b which revolve in the direction of thev arrows and anotherpair of rollers c, d which revolve similarly as the rollers a, b but at a somewhat higher speed. The surfaces of the rollers may be provided with small grooves, roughehed or coated with a suitable covering. The rolls are o journalled in aY usual manner in bearings e, f and are coupled to each other by toothed wheels g, g so that the rolls of each pair,

are revolved uniformly. Each pair of rolls seizes the fleece z in a straight-line bite. The distance between -the bitesof the pairs of rolls 'corresponds to the average natural lengthy ofthe cells of the cottonized fibers.

vQn, account of the slightly greater speed of the front pair of rollers c, d a gentle pull is exerted on the cells of the fleece. Each length of fleece corresponding to thel distance .fry is stretched in accordance with.

v j the difference of speeds to a distance :1f-y as indicated in Fig. 4. Since the distance between'the bites corresponds to the length of the cells tearing of the individual cells is avoided and they are drawn apart or separated from each other as indicated in Fig. 4, The separation of conglomerations or ,groups of cells into. individual cells can Athen be easily carried out. Instead of having only two pairs of rolls several pairs may be 11 a lsectionof a squirting de.

arranged one behind the other in a suitable manner.

In Fig. 2a the conveyersOO and 401 are shown that carry the ibers into and away from the rollers which are partly submerged in a liquid such as diluted sodium hydroxide solution in a trough402.

Instead of the continuously acting drawingr'ollers of Figs. l and 2 other 'forms of drawing devices, in which the retarding rolls a,- are substituted by other clamping devices such as clamping bars or the like, may be employed. A device of this-kind is shownl in Figs. 5-7 in which the fleece z is stretched byl liat clamping members. In this device there is a roller which may be moved stepby-step by a ratchet and pawl device, and is provided at its periphery with movable bars t. The roller or drum fw is provided with radial guide pins k which coact with two ends of each of the bars t. Arranged at the -ends of the drum 'w are stationary rings s with vertical faces u and a overhanging run j which limit the outward travel of the bar t. Springs, such as leaf springs fv, in the rings tend to press the bars t' outwardly. The ring s is formed with a guide ring m that extends into notches or slots in the ends of the b ars t. A

This guide ring m has a gap at the top of the drum 'w see Fig. 7 through which each bar t can be pushed down onto the drum, as shown in'Fig. 45, as it arrives at the top of the drum fw. At this point, opposite to' the bar'tat thetop of the roller, there isla reciprocating pressure member 1 which is moved up and down periodically by an excentric or cam rod o. During its reciprocating motion the pressure member is guided in a 'vertical guide way p. Arranged above the pressure member r is a loading or holdj ing deviceg with clamping surfaces n. The stretchingn of the liber is accomplished by turning thc drum lw with the fibrous material upon it through an angle corresponding to the width of one bar t without pressing the fleece against the roll 'w by the pressure member n. Immediately after each turn of the drum w through the said angle,the pressure member r together with the clamping member g is lowered, so that the clamping surfaces n engage `with the iibers as indicated in Fig. 5 so as to hold them rmly.

at the clamping points, the pressure against the member 'g being enerted b a spring i Whose tension can be regulate The pressure member v1 continues its downward travel after the clamping vaction of the clamping surfaces n has taken" place, so that the bart is depressed and the fibers are 'bulged downwards and a stretchingaction as indicated in-Fig.)5 is accomplished. The pressure member r thereupon rises in the gap in the ringv m and returns to its normal position and the' clamping action of the surfaces n ceases. 4The drum is then rotated another step and a fresh downstroke of the pressure member r takes place to push down the next bar t into gap in the ring fm.. The

distance between the bites or clamping sur" faces n is such that the individual cells are drawn apart as inthe case of the device illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 Without the cells being torn to any appreciable extent.y

. the form of a thin fleece in a device ofthe kind illust-rated in which it is held at a certain point by the application of pressure and subjected at a certain distance from this point to the action' of liquid jets under pres-,- sure directed toward the fleece from both sides at an oblique angle. The jets exert a vigorous lpull on the fleece by which the loosened individual cells are pulled and washed out. The distance between the point at which the fibers" are held and the point of impact of the jets is variable and must be.

adapted to the brous substance under treatment, that isto say to the natural length of the cells. In flax or hemp fibers the average natural length is about 40 mms., so that in handling fibrous material of this' kind this distance will have' to be chosen so that the individual cells, and these only, are separated and washed out of the crushed and stretched fibrous material by the liquid jets. The individual cells or yfiber elements thus washed out are caught up by suitable means, such as a sieve.

Referring to Figs. 8-12 of the drawing 100 is a fleece consisting of fibrous material which has beenl subjected to a preliminary treatment. The fleece is fed into the bite between two rollers 105, whichhave exterior surfaces of suitable form so as to seize the fleece 100 and move it forward at a` uniform speed. The rolls are journalled in bearings 107, 110 and are coupled to each other by toothed wheels 111 whose size is such as to cause the rolls Xto revolve at identical peripheral speeds in opposite directions. The

' rolls hold the fleece firmly in their bite without shifting the fibers relatively to each In acwhich lea-d from its chamber 101 the direction of movement of the fibrous material A(see Fig. 10). At one or both ends of each roll there is arranged a head 108 provided with connection pipes 106 adapted to be connectedto water supply pipes, A ring 112, which revolves with the roll and is slotted opposite to each chamber 101, and a disk 113 firmly fixed to the-head 106 form a watertight joint between the interior ofthe roll and lts-head. Each disk 113 has an opening 104 which is connected through a channel 114 with the interiorof the respective head 108. If' necessary the heads` 108 can be turned .a short'distance around the shafts'of the rolls so that the position of the opening 104 in the disk v113 can be correspondingly altered, see Fig. 10. I

When the squirting device is in operation the fleece 100 seized by the rolls 105 is progressively held Lat its variousl points in the bite between the rollers. Water under pressure enters through the opening 104 into one or more chambers 101 which lie at the side of the bite where the fleece is discharged from'the rollers. The jets act upon vthe cells .in the bite between the rolls and tend to clamp the fibers lmore firmly together and yet to separate them into their elements. As the rollers revolve the jets also exert a gentle stretching effect by seizing individual cells and tending to move themin the direction in which the fibers are moved. Since the seizure of the fibers by the -'jets takes place Whilst the cells are still held in the bite between the rolls, a separation pf entire bundles of fibers is prevented. By turning the heads, and thus shifting the opening 104, the ath in which the squirting action is effectlve can'be adjusted within theL required limitsand the angle at whichV the jets impingeupon the fleece can thus also be varied.

In the modification shown in Fig. 1 1 the Afleece 205 fis fed orward between two coarse meshed shifting cloths 204 which pass over 203 or the like held in elastic supports press the fleece'205 .together so that it 1s 'firmly held. at this point.

the action of oblique water jets that issue from oblique passages in the walls of squirting members 201. The action of the oblique jets is similar to the effect of the jets of the kdevice shown in Figs. 8-10, for in this device .also jets act directly on the cells which are still held in the bite and a vloosening of entire bundles of-fibers is thus avoided. The position ofthe squirting members 210 with respect to the bite is adjustable.

When the fleece has passed beyond the said bite it is subjected to vIn, the larrangement shown inFig. 12 the fleece is` clamped. between .two solid rolls l whose external surfaces may, if necessary, be specially adapted to exert a vigorous seizing effect by being 'grooved, roughened,

'tc. The squirting, washingand stretching of the bers is e'ected with jets of water under pressure issuing from oblique passages 208 in the walls of hollow squirtingI mem-n ing process may also consist in conveying the separated cells or'ber elements on bands throughhot air. The particular form of device per se used for removing the liquid and thoroughly drying the extracted cells or ber elements may be of any desired type.

The extracted bers are of course bleached when desired in any known manner as by means of solutions of active chlorine. The

' v ber elements may also be sized or impregnate'd with fatty substances, such as oil,

vvon a conveyer belt 300 which may ,an endless inet'al web and passes over rolls soap or the like.

The bruising or squeezing voperation in accordance with the invention may be carried out by a device or machine as shown Figs. 13-15. The brous substance is placed consist of 301, and the belt feeds the brous substance in a wet condition while warm or cold into a beatin devicel consisting of wooden rams 302 adapted tol be raised and lowered by cams 304 so "asl to strike against blocks or tables 306 beneath ing 'effect of the rams being enhanced and i made elastic by springs 305 which have the additional e'ect of throwing the rain upward immediately after eachA stroke. By staggering thecams the rams can be caused to perform their strokes in'succession in any desired order and by adjusting the lengths of the cam rods the'drop of each ram may be varied. Any number of rams may be used and the operation of any individual ram lor rams may be stopped 'at will. Ar-

ranged between the rams are water outlets 310 through which cold or warm water -or any suitable liquid chemical may be caused to pour onto the fibrous material on the belt.

The belt or cloth conveyer carries the brous material into the gaps between the rams 302 and their blocks andthe blows administered by the rams squeeze out the washing liquid which while the brous material, after passin from beneath the ram, absorbsfresh liqui from the other pipes. By this alternate wetl vting and squeezing out of the moisture by the strokes of the ram an excellent mechamthe metalA web, the strikows away through the metal Webl cal washing eect is accomplished and, on the other hand, bythe strokes administered by the ram, together with the swelling of the material by the liquidfrom the pipes, a better and more uniform distribution of the brousv material over the conveyer belt is gradually achieved. This may be extremelyimportant for the feeding of material into other machines inwhich the material might subsequently be treated.

We claim 1. Process-for producing cottonized bers consisting invtreating the brous substance so as to soften the ber, stretching the substance, separating the elements of the bers by directing liquid jets against it, and then de priving it of liquid and drying it.

2.` Processfor producing cottonized bers consisting intreating the brous substance so as to soften the ber, squeezing and stretching the substance, separating the elements` of the bers by directing liquid jets against it, and then depriving it of liquid and drying it.

3. Process for producing cottonized bers consistingin treating the. brous substance so vas tosoften the ber, beating and stretching the substance, separating the elements of the `bers by directing liquid jets against it,

and sizing, and then depriving it of liqui by directing liquid jets against it, bleaching and drying it. l

6. Process for producing cottonized bersv consisting in treating the brous substance. so as to'soften the ber, stretching the substance, separating the elements of the' bers by directin liquid'jets against it, bleaching, I and then depriving'it. of

sizing-andyeing, liquid and drying it. f Y

7. A process j.. for producing cottonized bers consisting in beating the brous substance by a number of beating devices, v.l

ting the. brous substance durng its 'IE-)1111x8- sage through the beating devices, str etc the substance so as to detach the elements o the bers from eachother and from the bulk of the brous substance, separating the ber, elements by directing liquid jets against'the brous substance, depriving the; separated ber elements of liquid, andfdryng -said ber elements.

. avproc'ess for producing tn axtile ,1.

in treating the brous substance ll bers consisting of the separatedv natural elements 'of ber which, in its natural state,

^ consists of long bers composed of cohering fibers consisting of the separated natural eletached from each other.

ments of ber which, in its natural state, consists of long fibers composed of .cohering natural elements or cells, deshiving the long fibers, softening the. cementitious substance that holds the natural elements together, stretching the long bers to'divide them into their elements, and Washing them to ob tain clean ber-elements properly detached from each other.

11. In Aa process for producing'textile fibers consisting of the separated natural elements of ber which, in its natural ystate,

. consists of long bers composed of cohering natural elements `or cells, deshiving the long bers, beating and wetting the long bers,

stretching the long bers to divide them-into their elements, and then Washing themfto obtain clean ber-elements properly de- 12. In aprocess .for producing textile fibers consisting of the separated natural. elements of ber which, in its natural state,

consists of long bers composed of cohering natural elements or cells, deshiving the long fibers, softening the cementitious substance that holds the natural elements together, l stretching the long fibers to divide them into their elements, and-then directing liquid jets against the fibers to obtain clean ber-elements properly detached from each other.

13. In a process for producing textile bers consisting of the separatednatural elements of ber which, in its natural state, consists of long bers composed of cohering nat; ural elements,deshiving the long bers, softening the cementitious substance, that holds the natural elements together, stretching the long bers fto divide them -into their elements, Washing them tol obtain 'cleanberelements, and bleaching them.

14. In a process for producing itextile fibers consisting of 'the separated natural elements of ber which, in its natural state, consists of long bers composed of cohering natural elements, deshiving the long bers, softening the cementitious substance that holdsthe natural elements together, stretchingl the long bers to divide them into their elements, Washing them to obtain clean berelements, bleaching and sizing them. v

15. In a process for producing textile bers consisting of the separated natural ele.-

ments of fiber which, in its natural state, lconsists of long bers composed of cohering natural elements, deshiving the long bers, softening the cementitious substance that holds the natural elements together, stretching the vlong bers to divide them into their elements, Washing them 'to obtain clean ber elements, bleaching, sizing and dyeing them.

.16. I,In a process for producing textile bers' consisting of the separated natural elements of ber Which,in its natural state,

consists of long bers composed of cohering natural elements, deshiving the "long bers, softening the cementitious, substance. that holds the natural elements together, stretching the long fibers to divide them into their elements, Washing them to obtain clean'berelements, and then drying them.

17. In a process v lfor producing textile bers consisting of the separated natural elements of ber which, in its natural state, consists of long bers composed -of cohering natural elements, deshivig the long bers, softening the cementitious substance that holds the natural elements together, stretching the long bers to divide them into their ,'elements, Washing them to obtainclean ber elements, bleaching and then dryingthem.

18. In a process for produc textile bers consisting of' the separated; natural elements of ber which, in its natural state, consists of long bers composed of cohering natural elements, 'deshiving the long bers,

softening the 'cementitious substance that lholds the natural elements together, stretching the long bers to dividethem into their elements, Washing them to obtain clean berelements, bleaching, sizing and then drying them.

19. In; a process for producing textile bers consisting of vthe separated natural elements of ber which, in .itsnatural state,

\ consists of long bers composed of cohering natural elements, deshiving the long bers, softening the cementitious substance that holds the natural elements together, stretching the long bers to divide them into their elements, Washing them to obtain clean ber-elements, bleaching, sizing, dyeing and then drying them.

bers, softening the cementitioussubstance 20. In a processV for producing 'textile' gbres consisting of the separated natural los that holdsy the natural elementsA together,

stretching the long bers to divide them into their elements, and. then directing liquid jets against the bers to obtain clean berlelements properly detached from each other, all said steps -in the process taking place automatically in a continuous operation. l

p 21. Apparatus for producing, in a continuous operation, short bers consisting of.

the natural elements of ber which, in its natural state, consists of long bers `composed ofcohering natural elements or bercells.

22. Apparatus for producing, in a continuous operation, short bers consisting of the natural elements of ber which, in its' -natural state, consists of long bers each composed of cohering natural elements or ber-cells, said apparatus comprising a softening device for softening the cementitious substance that holds the natural elements of the long bers together, a stretching device consistlng of pairsof ber-gripping rolls operating successively, the first pair beaters and water-jets,

vhaving' a lower circumferential speed than the next pair, anda washing device or cleaning the divided berfelements.

23. Apparatus for producing, in a continuous operation, short bers consisting of the natural elements of ber which, in its natural state, consists of long bers ,each

composed of cohering natural elements or ber-cells, .said apparatus comprising a sofy tening device consisting of cooperating bera stretching device` consisting of pairs of operating successively, the rst pair having alower circumferential speed than the next, and a washing 'device for cleaning the divided ber-elements.

ber-gripping rolls tures.

24. Apparatus for producing, in a continuous operation, natural elements of ber which, in its natural state, consists of long bers each composed of coheringnatural elements or bercells, said apparatus comprising a softening device consisting of cooperating vber-beaters and water-jets, a stretching devicecon- ,sisting of pairs of ber-ripping rolls operating successively, the rst pair having a short bers consisting ofthe l lower circumferentiat speed than the next',

and a washing device consisting of'strong l i jets of water direc-ted -against the divided individual cells.

25. Vegetable textile bers consisting of the separated natural elements of ber 27. Cottonized bers produced by treat;

ing brous substance so as to soften its bers, stretching' the vsubstance to detach. the elements of the bers from eachother v.

and separating the ber elements and Washing the broussubstance by directing liquid jets against it.` l

mn. scum; Y- A,

testimony whereof we aiiixv our signa- Y BRNO POSSANNER von EHRENTHAL. 

